"There are two things you can't argue in film: comedy and eroticism. If something doesn't make you laugh, no one can tell you why it's funny, and it's difficult to reason someone out of an erection."
Laughter is as strange a behavior as anything else and I don't understand it. But, I laugh.
I enjoyed Hot Fuzz. I appreciated the cleverness of its homage to every action and buddy cop movie that came before it. But, I didn't laugh much. I was disappointed because it was funny, but not uproariously funny. Part of this is surely just me not particularly caring too much for or about the buddy cop genre. Part of it is that I think that Hot Fuzz tried too hard at times. It seemed like the frame would pause to give us, the audience, just enough time to laugh before going on to the next bit. The set-ups for laughs were there, but I didn't laugh. I smiled, but then started wincing because I felt guilty that I didn't think the movie was as funny as it was trying to be. Still, it earned plenty of small laughs and smiles from me.
We watched all six episodes of Season 1 of The Office in one sitting.
If there's a better sitcom out there at the moment, please write to me and let me know. Before Sister Sarah let us borrow Season 1 while down in Old Mauch Chunk, I had only seen a few scattered episodes, mostly at B'eckley's apartment, probably while "studying" library stuff.
Yes, The Office is funny. Again, though, lots of smiles and few belly laughs.
What impressed me most was the lack of any explanation for the documentary style. It's a nice conceit that allows for some clever communication of information, including the neat effect of having characters speak directly to the audience without any really jarring feeling of fourth wall smashing going on.
Not many people know this anymore, but Danny DeVito is funny. At least, he was funny.
Throw Momma From the Train was his debut as a feature film director (after some TV work). The directing is all functional, lots of traditional shot/reverse shot patterns, allowing the script room to breathe, to be acted out perfectly. There are also some "action" scenes that are shot cleanly, always highlighting the humor. DeVito understands comedy, both appropriate timing and allowing his actors (including himself) free reign to let the jokes roll around naturally, both through the words spoken and plenty of slapstick physicality. Anne Ramsey shouts her way gloriously to an Academy Award nomination while DeVito and Crystal run circles around one another with one great line after another, all leading up to a hilarious climax and a sweet dénouement.
I've seen Throw Momma several times (a bunch of which were when I was but a wee lad) and I still can't help myself from wheezing because I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe.
Murder probably shouldn't be funny, but laughing makes it so.
4 comments:
I am with you on Throw Momma From the Train and The Office. I enjoyed Hot Fuzz and I also liked Run Fatboy Run, but I maintain that Shaun of the Dead is the better Pegg vehicle.
When my brother brought his friend Owen to my house to meet my parents, I remember my father randomly quoting the Throw Mama line, "Owen doesn't have any friends." I think that was one of the few times that I was proud to be my dad's son... especially since hardly anyone caught the reference at first.
To this day I can't drink a Pepsi without saying to myself "fetch me a Pepsi with some ice in it" in Ramsey's wonderfully phlegmy voice.
Scott,
If it means anything to you, you're the first person I'm inviting to my Charlotte's Web Screening Pig Roast.
I plan on projecting the animated Charlotte's Web outside on a large screen behind an open fire which is actively roasting a pig on a spit.
I just thought of that this morning on the way to church. Nice spiritual edifying thoughts. Preparing my heart and such.
My oldest daughter loves ham more than almost any other meat, but she's almost on the verge of tears any time she's reminded that a pig had to die for that ham.
Damn you Wilbur.
Remember, pig is Gospel food.
"...eating pork is a sign that the gospel has gone to all the world."
Have you seen Spaced yet? It's a wonderfully clever TV show with Pegg and his cohorts (including Nick Frost). I loved Hot Fuzz but not as much as Shaun. I don't think it's meant to be laugh out loud funny as much as it's meant to be clever and entertaining. I don't know that I laughed out loud much either, but I enjoyed it immensely. I love watching Simon Pegg in whatever he does.
Nah, I hadn't even heard of Spaced.
I still haven't seen Shaun of the Dead.
I'm willing to check out both eventually, but neither one is high on my priority viewing list.
Post a Comment